The BMW Motorrad Motorsport World Superbike team takes to the track for the first time this year in the stunning Portimao circuit in Portugal and riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are all fired up and ready to start their new adventure this season. This will be the first time Troy and Ruben have swung their legs over the S 1000RR this year and the action will all take place in front of all their 2009 rivals, instead of just a few as in the test last November. By the end of the three days, the team will have a better understanding of the task ahead and the four weeks or so afterwards will be taken up analysing the data and getting the bikes ready for the start of the season in Australia. This year’s Superbike World Championship has attracted a record number of entrants and no less than seven manufacturers will be involved, so the challenge to the team is a huge one. The team will be at a disadvantage this season because, unlike most or all of their competitors, they will not have any previous data with which to work with when they get to a track. Each circuit this year will present a new challenge and so Troy, Ruben and the team will have to try and get up to speed with their bike set-ups in record time at every one of the fourteen rounds if they are to have any chance of a good result. This season is not just a ‘learning year’ because everybody involved is determined to do the very best they can and try and pull off a surprise or two.